The condition of “foot drop” can significantly affect an individual's quality of life. An individual having a foot drop condition may have self-esteem issues, a lack of confidence when being active, and other associated psychological, physical, and personal issues associated with the condition. Muscular, skeletal, and/or neurological issues can be associated with and can also contribute to a foot drop condition. For example, weakened dorsiflexor and other muscles can affect an individual's ability to clear the foot during a swing phase for a heel strike. A foot drop condition can result in an individual's reduced ability to rotate the foot and toes of an affected leg upward while walking or running.
An individual afflicted with a foot drop condition may be seen to drag their toes of the affected foot, which can result in tripping or loss of balance, since the user is unable or has limited ability to pull the toes upward and away from the ground. A foot drop condition can occur as a result of an injury, neuromuscular disease, stroke, diabetes, and other ailments. Individuals afflicted with a foot drop condition can be seen trying to walk with an exaggerated flexion of the hip, thigh, and/or knee to prevent the toes from catching on the ground or some other object. In some cases, a foot drop condition can require one or more surgical procedures (e.g. triple arthidosis, etc.) which still may not resolve the associated issues. Medical devices and systems have also been created in attempts to reduce or alleviate a foot drop condition.